Bottle-washing apparatus



S. EBERLY. BOTTLE WASHING A'PPAR'ATUS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l TUN@ , m nl manu FebQZf, 1923. I S. EBERLY.

BQTTLE WASHING APPARATUS.

2 SHEEr SHEET 2,

FILED DEC. 30, 1918.

Faientedl Feb. 27, 1923..

UNT@ [lqltTEi arrasar oesters..

SYLVESTER EBEE/LY, OF MORENCI, MICHGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HOWARD S.'

VEELLOTT, OF MORFNCI, TdIIGHIGAN.

BOTTLE-FASHING AFPARATUS.

Application filed Beeember 30, 1918. Serial No. 268,842.

Y 1o all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, SYLvns'rnn Ennmfr, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Morenci, Lenawee County, Michigan, have invented new and useful Bottle-lVashing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating articles.

This invention has utility when incorporated in bottle washers, especially power driven as to the washing operation.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an embodiment of the invention in a washer for milk bottles, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal view of the washer of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse view, parts being broken away; and

F ig. 4 is a detail view in perspective of the frame holding latch.

The reservoir 1 has thereover a main driving shaft 2 mounted in bearings 3,A e, 5. The overhanging end of the shaft 2 carries fast driving pulley 6, and adjacent thereto idler pulley 7 loosely mountedv on the shaft 2. A shifting of belt 8 from the loose pulley 7 to the fast pulley 6 effects the power driving of the washer as herein disclosed.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 2 are collars 9 having radially extending bolts 10 with nuts 11 thereon for clamping frame members 12 into the desired radial position as to size of bottle being cleaned, in adapting to the tank or reservoir 1. Spacers 13 from the bars or frame members 12 have bolts 14 therethrough for clamping outer frame members 15 in position parallel to the, shaft 2 and member 12 of such frame.

' ln practice it is preferable to group the frames inV lateral pairs primarily, with sets of four frames serving as a compact unit; which sets of four frames or evenV sets of two frames may be adapted to any desired tank or reservoir extent for which the demands of the installation may require. to the frames themselves, their extent may be economically limited to the range for convenient reaching by the operator or attendant with a minimum of movement. The number of containers or bottles per frame may thus vary with size of bottle for which the frame is designed. For instance,

with quart milk bottles, in the simplifiedl `abutting the sleeve from the pulley 17 fast on the shaft 18, holds the shaft from movement outward or radially as to the shaft 2; while sleeve 21 abutting the outer side of the frame member 15 and fast with the shaft 18 keeps the shaft 18 from movement inward. A key 22, permits ready removal of the sleeve 21 from the shaft 18. A tack or nail 23 may serve to engage stem 24 of bottle carrier or brush 25 in mounting such brush 25 for rotation with the brush carrier shaft 18.

Fast on shaft 2 is grooved collar 26 engaged by lever 27 having fulcrum bearing 28 in frame member 12. This lever 27 has remote from the collar 26 a handle 29 with a relatively movable grip member 30 normally set by a spring 31 to engage notch 32 in frame member 15 when the pinions 17 are held in mesh with the gears 16. When it is desired to shift the frame as a unit longitudinally of the shaft 2 to have the pinions 17 out of mesh withy the respective gears 16, the handle 29 with its grip 30 is shifted to act as a latch holding in notch 33 of the member 15, and the frame unit is locked out f of driving relation as to the power rotation of the shafts 18. Under these circumstances a single frame, or desired pairs of frames may be used with no waste of power in driving idle brushes. This is a matter of great simplicity and convenience for varying the capacity of the washer economically. The levers 27v accordingly serve for maintaining the frames in or out of position for driving rotation of the brushes 25.

A simplemechanism is provided as a control means for shifting and for maintaining the frames in loading and washing positions. ln a simple form for one-man operation upon one side of the tank 1, a pair of frames may be grouped for simultaneous opposite y travels.

On the medial transverse member 34 over the tank or reservoir 1, uprights 35 are braced by connecting member 36. Each member 35 provides a fulcruni bearing 37 for rocking beam or bar 38 having terminal fulcrum bearings 41 for levers 42, normallyY thrust upward by springs 43 to limit positions as determined by pins 44 in slots Riding' over the offset portions 40 ofthe bars 38 are latches or locking` bars 46' pivotally connected to the' uprights 35 and provided with a' notch 47 into which the upwardly thrust hand lever may ride as a. frame ascends to position for bottles washed to be removed from the brushes 25 and bottles to be washed are charged thereon. l/Vhen a frame is thus charged bottles being removed in pairs yand applied in pairsone in each hand of the operator, the operator pushes down on the projecting free end of the h'and lever 42 for such frame, which lever 42vfirst moves as to the bar 38 to free the lever from the notch 47. Continued downward movement., in the same direction as this release or unlatching movenient, forces this newly charged. frame downward into the reservo-ir, and simultaneously the adjacent connected frame with washed bottles thereon is moved upward to locked position and the bottles with rotating brushesA therein out of the water of the tank, the 'open ends slightly downwardly inclined for self draining; Furthermore', they are in position just above' guide apron or shield-48, which not only protects the operator from splashings. but guides .the bottle up into position upon the brush 25 and holds it there during the submerged cleaning operation. j .Y

In forcing the bottles over the brushes 25, the neck of the bottle is inserted through guide ring 49 on steni() adjusted by nuts 5l in its locked mounting to frame member 15. These rigid guides accordingly serve to assist in maintaining the bottles in position Adin-ing the nioiinting thereof on the brushes.

A steam line 52 may extend into the reservoir 1 to keep the ten'iperature of the wash water therein as desired. Overflow or discharge from the reservoir 1 may be past valve 53.

The operator who charges a frame with bottles to be cleaned `up to the capacity of such frame, in the single act of depressing lever 42 swings the newly charged frame into bottle submerging position.V As the brushes 25 are beingdriven continuously, the washing proceeds without delay or any other manual act upon the partof thel operator.- This continuous drive is by belt 8 on pulley 6, actuating gears 16 in mesh with the gears 17. This submerging of the frame with bottles to be washed, simultaneously brings out of the bath the adjacent frame full of washed bottles. The still-rotating i operator, for this frame is held in its up or locked position by the opposite lever 42 engaging notch 47 of the bar 46 as a c'ompanion'bar to the bar justreleased. The capacity of the machine'is up to the maximum speed of the operator, and withtwo operators, one for each pair of frames, such operators may perform their duties entirely independently, for the dipping and lifting of the frames on one side of the shaft are entirely independent of the like operations on the opposite side. In fact, the opposite pair of frames may be cut out from all driving', by a shifting of the hand levers 27, and driving on one side only thusoc'cur. By pairing the frames, there is anormalyl-)al` ancing tendency therebetween, notwithstanding the driving` for rotation independent of the shifting orrtravel actuation. Accordingly the act of frame releasingand pushing toward its central balancingl position is not arduous, and while under mow'feinent,the 'travel is easily continued past such balanced position to the fully submerged position which brings the opposite frame to locke-d out position and the frames are thus held.

When only inside brushes 25 are used, it may be desirable `to mount adjacent the Vguide ring 49, a spring leaf 54,l asa means for offering some slight resistance in addition to thecontour of thenrotating brush for holding the bottles in position.V y

Again', in some instances of rseA it may be convenient, if not absolutely required, that a brushing of the bottle outside occur inr addition to the lsplashing and rotation as e'l'- fected by the lbrushes 25. To provide for this, there may be' mounted adjacent the pinion 17 to rotate therewith, a pinion 55-.in

mesh with pinion 56011 shaft 57 V`parallel with the shaft 18, and like the shaft 18,- carried by the frame members 12, 15', which has bearings 58, 59, therefor. A sleeve 60, fixed by key 61 to the vshaft 57 holds the shaft 57 from movement inward byabutting the frame member 15, while the bearing k58 abutting the sleeve of the pinion 56, pre-V cludes outward longitudinal-movement of the shaft 57. A tack or nail 62'may mount for easy removal or replacement, a brush 63 configured to oppose the brush 25 for eX-r 1 terior scrubbing of a bottle mounted on the brush 25, the bottle in position thereon having slow rotation so that the higher speed rotation of the brushes 25, 63, mounted on the brush carrier shafts 57, 18, effect a general rubbing of the entire outer bottle wall opposing the inner brush.

Oil cups 64, are provided. for the bearings 3, 4;, 5, of the shaft 2, and oil cups 65 for the bearings 19, 58. The pan 66 precludes oil drippings into the wash water of the reservoir 1. Grease cups 67 provide lubricant for bearings 20, 59. From pan supports 68 central downwardly directed stops 69 limit the downward dip of the frames by abutting the frame members 12, 15, so in limiting submergence from striking the bottles on the tank bottom, there is simultaneously a limit to the up-throw of the cognpanion connected frame being withdrawn from the wash to position for bottle removal. This upper removal position, while with the inward end downwardly inclined sufficient for drainage, is not such a large angle from the horizontal as the submerged position, thus placing exterior bot-tie washing brushes well under the surface for avoidance of splashings.

iWhat is claimed and it is desired to se* cure by Letters Patent is:

1. A reservoir, a driving shaft thereover, brush carrier frames swingably mounted on the shaft and movable into the reservoir, radially extending brush carriers approximating a common plane rotatably mounted in each frame, and means for rotating the carriers from the shaft independently of swinging the frames.

2. A reservoir, a bearing, a pair of relatively movable brush carrier frames anchored in alignment by said bearing to swing into the reservoir, brush carriers rotatably mounted in the frames, and connections between the frames swinging one thereof up as the other is swung down.

3. A reservoir, bearing, a pair of relatively movable brush carrier frames anchorered in alignment by said bearing to swing into the reservoir, brush carriers rotatably mounted in the frames, driving means for rotating the carriers, frame rocking means for effecting simultaneous opposite travel of the frames, and a latch for maintaining the frames in rocked position during carrier rotation.

4i. A driving shaft, gears thereon, a frame mounted to swing about t-he axis of the shaft, gears mounted in the frame and in mesh with the gears on the shaft, brush carriers supported by the frame and connected to be rotated from said frame gears, and means for shifting the frame longitudinally of the shaft for throwing the frame gears out of mesh with the shaft gears to disconnect the carriers from actuation.

5. A driving shaft, gears thereon, a pair of relatively movable frames mounted to swing independently about the axis of the shaft, parallel brush carriers mounted in the frames and gears mounted in each frame, each in mesh with a gear on the shaft for rotating the carriers independently of frame swinging.

6. A bottle washer comprising a plurality of pairs of simultaneously oppositely rockable frames, bottle guides carried by the.

frames, rotatable brushes adjacent the bottle guides, a common driving shaft for the brushes, and means for shifting the frames as to the shaft for connectingand disconnecting the brushes of such shifted frame for actuation from the shaft.

ln witness whereof 1 affix my signature.

SYLVESTER EBERLY. 

